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G. A. COLE. SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJG IQII.

ri avmm l-m-entwlssemf :30, 1919.

' the objects of the invention being to provide ED STATES PN y GEORGECOLE, OF NEW YORK, Y.

SIGNAL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GroRcE A: COLE, a c1t1 zen of the United States ofAmerica, re-

siding at New York, N. Y., have invented a new and useful Signal, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to signals generally,

a simple and practical form'of signal apparatus which may be usedwherever a signal device ofsome sort is necessary or desirable. Myinvention particularly has in vlew the provision of a signal suitablefor railway.

crossings, draw bridges, railway trains and other vehicles.

Briefly considered, the invention comprises an oscillating member orhub, as

have termed it,-car rying a resilient flexible stay supporting-a slgnalh ead, together with a motor for positively oscillating the hub inopposite directions.

. ably in place so that it may be easily re '25 moved and be replaced byanew one whenwould have it understood that many changes- .A specialfeature of the invention is the securing of the resilient flexible staydetachin'nee'd of repairs or the like. 7

Other features ofhe invention will appear, asthe specification'proceeds.In the drawing 'accompanyi'ngthe specification, I have illustrated myinvention-as embodied ina practical andpreferred form, but I andmodifications may be made without departing from the true spirit andscope of the invention. 1 A y In said drawing:-- a Figure 1 is a faceview of the apparatus,

with the protective housing or casing shown in section and showingfurther in diagrammatic form a suitable arrangement of circultconnections.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the signal head andthe os-- cillatinghub which operates the same.

Fig. 3 is a broken perspective view of the oscillating hub memberv Fig.4 is a detail view of the base member of the resilient signal arms.

In the construction illustrated, 10 de'signates the signal head, as Ihave termed it constructed to form a suitable signal. In

the illustration, this head is of generally cir.

. cular form and may be colored red or marked in anyother'distinguishing way. It is made hollow as indicated in the presentcaseto-contain a signal lamp l1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 16, 1917. Serial No. 186,443.

Patented Sept. 30*, I919.

The signal head is carriedby a resilient -flexible support which here ismade vup of two flexible stays 12 and 13, said stays being carried by anoscillating support or hub 14, as I'havc termed it, this hub beingjournaled at 15 insuitable supports 16.

The signal head is givena swinging or 'osclllating movement by means ofa motor 17 connected with the"oscillating hub by suitable gearingconsistin in the illustration of-a worm 18 on the shaft 19of the motor,meshing with a worm gear20 on the shaft 21, said shaft 21 carrying aneccentric 22 with which is engaged a rod 23 connected with theoscillating hub at 24:;

'Ihe efi'ect of the connections thus detion, the oscillating hubisrapidly vibrated back and forth and this, through the resil-'scribed'is that when the motor is in operaient flexible stays imparts aswinging catsaid signal head to vibrate rapidly through a widerangeofaction.

By varying the speed of the motor or the ratio of gearing connections,it will be evi apult movement to the signal head, causing dent that therate of vibration maybe changed to produce different signal eflects. Themotor or power device maybe of any suitable construction and while Ihave shown an electric motor employed in the present instance, I wouldhave it understood that any other type of motor may be employed. In-.any event, the motor is governed by a suitable controller, saidcontroller consisting in the disclosure, of a circuit closer, made up ofa bridging member 25-, adapted to complete the circuit between twocontacts 26, one of which is connected'directly with the motor by wiring27 and the other of which is connected with the motor by wiring Thecontroller forthe Iriotor may be operated, according to the use to whichthe signal is put, as by the movement of a passing train, for a crossingsignal, as by the movement of some part of the operating .28, having abattery or other'source of cur- .rent 29 interposed therein.

mechanism of a draw bridge, or by the ap- 'plication of brakes on theslowing down of a 31 which may be connected as indicated with the samesource of current which supplies the motor.

As the more'or less continuous flexing of the resilient stays has atendency to wear them out and as said stays sometimes break, due toover-tempering, flaws in the metal, etc., I have provided for the readyrenewal of the entire signal'carrying arm by securing said arm to the.oscillating hub' in such a way that it may be readily attached to anddetached therefrom.

In theillustration this is accomplished by securing the ends of thestays in a base piece 32 which is detachably secured to a correspondingbase .part 33 on the oscillating head as by means of securing screws 34.I have also provided for the completion of the electric circuit by thesimple attachment of onepart to the other by providing on the base3Q'circuit terminals 35, adapted to 'engage contact sockets 36 on theoscillating hub when the parts are brought together. This provides foran easy attachment of new signal heads and without the necessity forindependently manipulating any electrical connections. This feature ofready interchangeability is of considerable value in the case ofrailway, draw bridge, and the like signals, which are more or lessexposed to the weather, and enabling a quick repair by the substitutingof new parts, and permitting of the old parts being taken away forpurposes of repair at a more convenient time and place.

Another feature of the structure illus-,

trated is the provision of curved guides 37 at opposite sides of theflexible signal arms which form fulcrums' over which the signal arms maybendin the oscillation thereof, substantially as indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 1. This imparts a more gradual bend to the signal arm andthus to a certain extent frees the signal arm of strain and preventsbreakage thereof.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the invention is adapted to awide range of uses and it is capable of being easily installed whereverdesired. i

. The signaling action may be controlled either manually orautomaticallyin this latter connection as by the opening of a drawbridge, approach of a train, the appli cationof brakes, etc. Also thecontroller in the case of railway trains may be arranged to be operatedin conjunction with the throttle or controller of the train in such aWay that when power is reduced or cut-01f the signal will be thrown intooperation.

The resilient signal carrying arms may be tapered in thickness or inwidth toward their free swinging ends so as to provide an extra degreeof resiliency at the signal end of the arms. This strengthens andprovides a certain degree of reinforcement at the base gearingconnections between the motor and the oscillating hub that thesignalhead will vibrate substantially at the true rate of vibration of apendulum of thatparticular length. This provides for a uniform move mentof the swinging signal head and avoids the erratic action which wouldoccur if themotor and swinging arm were not properly timed with respectto each other. Also with this construction, where the swinging signalarm has a resilient catapult action it is only necessary for the motorto impart a relatively slight oscillating movement to theoscillatinghub, the full swing of the-signal head being provided by thefiexure of the signal arm at the end of the stroke in each direction.-This swinging catapult movement also is assisted by thus swinging thesignal arm as a pendulumQ Another advan tage of this invertedconstruction is that the parts "can 'be practically completely housed atall times.

I claim- 1. Signal apparatus comprising, a movable support, a signalhead, a resilient flexible connection between the signal head andsupport, and a power device for impartingv posltlve movement to saidsupport in opposite directions whereby an amplified swlnging movementwill be imparted to the signal head in both directions.

' Signal apparatus comprising, an oscillatmg support, a signal head, aresilient flexible connection between the signal head and support, and apower device for imparting positive oscillating movement to said-.support in opposite directions whereby an amplified swinging movementwill be imparted to the signal head in both directions.

3. Signal apparatus comprising, an oscillatmg support, a signal headincluding an electric light, a resilient connection between saidsuppm'tand head, a power device including an electric motor for imparting apositive movement to said support in both sides of the 15 lating hub, aresilient flexible support'carried by -said hub, a signal head carriedby the resilient flexible support, a motor for positively oscillatingthe hub in opposite directions and curved guides on the oscillating hubat opposite sides of the resi ient flexible support forming bearingsover which Said resilient flexible support may bend in the oscillationthereof.

7 In a signal apparatus, a swinging pendulum comprising a pivotedsupport, a resilient flexible sta carried thereby and a signal headcarried y the lower end of said stay, a power device and operatingconnections from said power device for positively swinging said pendulumin opposite direction with a double catapult movement.

resilient flexible stay carried by one of said hub portions, a signalhead carried by said stay, a motor, gearing from said motor foroscillating the hub and a controller for the motor, an electric lampcarried by the signal head and a controlling circuit for said lamp, saidstay and insulated hub-portions forming part of said circuit.

5. Signal apparatus comprisingan oscillating hub, a resilient flexiblesupport carried by said hub, a signal head carried by said resilientflexible support, and curved guides on the oscillating hub at oppositeresilient support and adapted to form bearings over which said resilientsupport may bend in the oscillation of the signal head.

' 6. Signal apparatus comprising an oscilenonen A. oonn.

